Driving voice traffic to a business (typically thorough a telephone number, but increasingly through web and mobile device traffic) is often a very high priority for the business. Services or mechanisms that enable customers to locate the business, or better yet, provide information directing customers to a particular business when they need a product or service are of great value to that business. Traditionally, this has been achieved through a variety of methods, including listing the number in telephone directories (e.g., “Yellow Pages”); advertising the number in print, roadside, radio, or television advertising; listing the number on the business location, etc. Over time, this has evolved to marketing over the Internet, including banner advertisements, social media campaigns, review site placements, daily deals/coupons, and other Internet advertising.
While the Internet may have changed many things about advertising and the process of selling to the customer, many businesses, particularly small businesses, still rely on customers reaching them directly via voice as a primary mechanism for interacting and closing sales.